Can car run without coolant sensor?

[saleenadam]

If the factory coolant sensor is pulled out of the intake will the car run or will this throw off the fuel and computer badly? I have an Autometer gauge for my coolant temp. and have been running both that and the stock coolant sensor off a T-fitting in the lower intakes stock location for a couple of years. I just bought one of the Painless fan relays though to make the fan come on at 185 degrees and this comes with another sensor that I can't think of where to put. I can't fit it in the thermostat housing because it would hit the T-fitting the others are on, and i'm wondering if I can remove the stock coolant sensor since the Painless will turn on the fan and the Autometer will tell the temp., but would this throw my car out of wack?

 

[baskin]

If you're referring to the ECT, removing it will cause the computer to run entirely off the stored tables, it will stay open loop and run extremely rich. If you're referring to the gauge sending unit, you can remove it without causing any problems.

 

[HISSIN50]

Baskin, it sounds like he is just talking about the gauge sender. if so, yes you can ditch it. you could rig a resistor to have your stock gauge read halfway (so it does not look dead).

what i might do: you can relocate the stock sender to the rear of the driver side lower intake. that location is not as accurate, but it works better than no (second) gauge at all. i had a thread once about doing this - if interested, lemme know or search my threads. Mike was nice enough to post pics of what plug you remove. i did a little write up (final post) about how to do the relocation without having to remove any ancillary components (plenum, etc). very simple.

good luck.

 

[saleenadam]

I believe it's the gauge sender..the one right in front of the thermostat on the lower intake, because the ECT is the one to the right of the distributor isn't it? I was looking through with the search for the thread you were referring to but can't find it you don't happen to know the title do you, thanks?

NM just found the writeup Here and the picture here for anybody else interested.

 

[saleenadam]

Actually I was wrong on that the sender is the one to the right of the distributor and the ECT is by the thermostat housing..I just took out the stock sender I don't need it anyway and put the Painless one in that hole.

 

[HISSIN50]

you can also differentiate the coolant sender (gauge) vs the sensor (ECT) from how many wires attach - sender should have but one wire. ECT has multiple.

here is a pic Mike posted of the intake:
http://forums.stangnet.com/showpost.php?p=3129493&postcount=8

here is a little info on how one can do the rear relocation:
http://forums.stangnet.com/showpost.php?p=3167468&postcount=12

good luck.